Plandgraph co



H.G. WATSON.

CHIN BEST FOR VIOLINS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-12.1918.

1,3 1 1 ,670. Patented Ju1 29, 1919.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY HENRY c. WATSON, or NEW .50mi, n.

CHEW-REST FOR VIO'LINS.

Specification of Lcttersl'atent.

' Patented Jul 29,1919.

Applicatiomfiledlseptember12;l918. serial No. 253,672;

To all whom it may. concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY G- WATSON, a subject of the King of England,residing in the city of New York,borough of Manhattan, inthe county andState. of" New York, have invented a. certain new and useful Improvementin Chin-Rests for Violins,

of which the following is a. specification;

The invention relates to the form of thechin-rest, and more particularlyto the mode of attaching it to the violin.

The object of the invention is to provide a rest which shall be lightand of such form as to receive the chin of the player comfortably andpermit the instrument to be firmly grasped thereby, and adapted to besecurely attached to the violin without interfering with the vibrationsof the instrument or affecting its tone, and eliminating the usualscrews and clamps employed for such attachment.

The invention consists in certain novel features and arrangement ofparts by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show theinvention as it has been carried out in practice.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the rear portion of the body of a violinequipped with the improved chin-rest.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding rear elevation.

Fig. 3 is a corresponding vertical section, taken on the line 3-3 inFig. 1, and partly in side elevation.

The remaining figures are on a larger scale and show the chin-restalone.

Fig. 4 is a plan or top view.

Fig. 5 is a similar view from below.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

A is the body of a violin, having the breast A joined thereto at themarginal bead A and carrying the strings B and tail-piece C held by thetail-piece gut C to the tailpin A all of the usual or any approvedconstruction.

The chin-rest may be of wood or other suitable material and ispreferably carved or otherwise formed in a single piece; its body is inthe form of a shell or bowl D hollowed and curved to conform to the chinof the player and joined by a leg or short c0luInn ,D to a ]oase-'--l)securedtov the instrument. 1

The. base, has 3.; depending flange D slightly curved toymatch. against.the rear face. of the violin, and grooved as: at d at. its angularjunction with the. base D to match upon the bead A The base D and flangeextend across the center line of the violin beyond the bowl D and arehollowed on the upper face at such center to receive the rear end of thetailpiece C which is seated firmly thereon under the strain of thestrings B.

The chin-rest is held to the violin by the tail-piece which lies uponthe base in the hollow above mentioned, and by the tailpiece gut C whichextends in two legs from the tail-piece over the shoulder of the baseand downward against the rear face of the flange D to the tail-pin Awhich lies in the loop of the gut as usual. Slight grooves d d areformed on these faces of the base and flange to insure the properposition of the chin-rest upon the violin, and the flange is of suchthickness as to cause the tail-piece gut to clamp the flange and base byan inward and downward compression into firm contact with the adjacentsurfaces of the instrument, with the force induced by the strains of theviolin strings B. The inner faces of the base I) and flange D presentedagainst the violin are preferably lined with velvet or felt E or otheryielding material to prevent marring the violin, and in the hollowedportion of the base is a slot d extending lengthwise of the latter toinsure that the points of contact at the sides of the concave tail-pieceshall apply squarely upon the forward portion of this part of the base,as shown in Fig. 3.

Thus held it will be noted that the employment of screws or otherclamping devices is entirely eliminated, together with the objectionablefeatures of weight and projecting portions; that the back of the violinis entirely clear; and the only contact of the chin-rest with theinstrument is along a narrow line at the upper rear margin of the body,while the chin-rest attached in this manner is held more firmly than ispossible by the use of screw clamps.

Experiments show that the improved chin-rest thus attached in nowiseaffects the vibrations of the instrument or modifies its tonal effects,and the bowl is shaped to conby which it is form to the chin-whenpresented thereto in playing position.

claim p 1. The chin-rest described having a base adapted to lie upon aviolin and support the, tai1-piece thereof, to be held in place thereonwe in .engagement therewith by said tail-piece and the tail-piece gut ofsuch instrument,

in engagement therewith by said tail-piece and the tail-piece gut ofsuch instrument, said base being cut away to receive and support the endof the. tail-piece and for determining the points of contact of saidtailpiece with said base.

' 3; The chin-rest described having a bowl adapted to receive the chinof the player, and abase adapted to lie upon the upper face of. a violinand having a flange adapted to lie against the rear face of suchinstrument, said :base being adapted to receive and support the end ofthe tail-piece and said base and flange arranged to be held to saidviolin by the pressure of said tailpiece and its gut.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aflix mysignature.

HENRY C. WATSON.

Copies of thil patent may be obtained for me cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, 'D. G.

